Just Look At Me, You Can Tell
by dreamshell
Summary: Land of the Dead. About Charlie's devotion to Riley pre and post movie.


Just Look At Me, You Can Tell...

Riley says he loves me 'cause I still believe in heaven. I tell him, yeah, I do. I gotta believe in heaven, 'cause that's where God is and I definitely believe in God. 'Cause He makes miracles and me bein' alive, well, that's a miracle. Just look at me, you can tell that's a miracle.

It's all 'cause of Riley that I'm not dead and burned up like Mom and Dave and Betsy. It's all 'cause of Riley that I'm not...you know. One of _them_. I may be dumb, but even I know that pretty much nobody but Riley woulda put his neck on the line for a retard like me. That's why I stayed with him. I figured I owed him that much. He told me that I didn't and he tried to talk me out of it, but I knew.

And good thing I'm such a good shot, too, 'cause otherwise Riley mighta not let me stay with him. But with all the stuff he did, goin' out all the time where all the stenches were to get stuff for the city, with only those sky flowers to protect him, he needed me. And I did good, too. I blew those things' brains out just before they could get at Riley more 'n a couple of times. He'd saved me and now I was savin' him. Fair trade, he said. But I knew it was more 'n that. We took care of each other. We were friends, brothers almost.

Riley told me once that he didn't like the city, 'cause of all the people. It wasn't that he didn't like 'em, he just didn't like bein' stuck bein' around 'em all the time. Riley liked to be alone, liked to be places where everything was quiet. The thing about bein' with me, he said, was it was pretty much the same to bein' alone. I didn't talk much 'cept when he wanted to and when we did he said it was like talkin' with a little kid who didn't think about ways to cheat ya or use ya or nothin' like that.

Another thing about Riley was he stuck up for me, too. When people called me slow or made fun of how I look, Riley would get real mad and tell 'em that I was just as good and decent and worthy of respect as anybody. Sometimes he'd get into fights, all for me. Nobody ever did so much for me as what Riley did.

So mostly it was me and him. Like Batman and Robin kinda, you know? Just the two of us against all those walkers. Cholo would come around sometimes, but he and Riley didn't really work the same way as me and Riley. With them it was all business, but with us it was just two pals. Yeah, we had to watch our backs a lot so no stench would come up and make a meal outta us, but other than that, it was all laughs. At least, as much laughs as you can expect nowadays.

Now, though, yeah, well, now it's sorta different. _She's_ with us now, and all the others. I mean, it's good 'cause the more of us there is, the better our chances, you know? And we've kinda become like this family, but it's still different. Mostly 'cause of her. I mean, I like her, I don't got a problem with her, but since we met her Riley's been kinda hangin' around with her more lately. Me and Riley don't share the same room no more, now she and him do. I got my own room all to myself now, but mostly I sleep in the big man's room 'cause I'm not used to sleepin' on my own anymore. The big man understands, though. He says he doesn't mind my company. But it's not the same, not like when I knew Riley was there, usually stayin' awake 'til I dozed off.

Riley's pretty busy nowadays. We've met some people on our way up here and Riley's been makin' sure they're okay and he's makin' sure we're safe from the stenches. He and the others are always puttin' stuff together and blockin' off our new place and settin' up booby traps. But at least he still gives me things to do. He lets me scout around a few times everyday and usually uses me when he needs somethin' or needs someone to be told somethin'.

Riley knows I'm still here for him. He knows I still owe him, that I'll always owe him. There are times when I have bad dreams, dreams about the fire, and I remember that he's the reason I'm here at all.

So even though things have changed a lot, I'm still stayin'. Riley'll always need someone to watch his back and who better to do it than me? He's more than just someone who saved my life, he's my best friend. I love the guy. Just look at me, you can tell I love the guy.


End file.
